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Stanley (narrow gauge)
Stanley, named after American politician Stanley Baldwin and also known by his number, No. 2, was an American narrow gauge tank engine who used to work on the Mid Sodor Railway up until he was turned into a pumping engine. Biography ''The Railway Series Stanley was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1917, and worked in the United States before arriving to Sodor, and was bought secondhand as Army Surplus by the Mid Sodor Railway. (''Book; The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways) Unfortunately, Stanley was not re-gauged properly, and as such was known to be a rough rider. He was prone to derailing frequently, but believed that it did not matter how many accidents it had and ignored any advice given to him. After many failed attempts to cure his habit, he was converted into a pumping engine behind the engine sheds at Arlesdale. Duke later told Stuart and Falcon about this when the two engines were being cheeky, and they became "unusually good for several days" afterwards. (RWS; Duke the Lost Engine) Stanley was later moved to the mine at Cas-ny-Hawin, and began pumping water from the mine. However, he was becoming worn-out, and in late 1946, he finally broke down, causing the mine to flood and leading to its closure. With no reason to stay open the Mid Sodor Railway closed the following year, and Stanley was scrapped. (Book; The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways) Personality and Traits Stanley was arrogant, reckless and irresponsible, and refused to listen to any advice, even laughing rudely at Duke when he advised him to be careful. He believed that it did not matter if he derailed frequently, claiming that a minor accident was never seen as a problem in the States. This bad behavior resulted in him being turned into a pumping engine. Technical Details Basis Stanley is based on the Baldwin Class 10-12-D. These 4-6-0 pannier tank engines were built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works between 1916 and 1917 for service on the British War Department railways in France during World War I, but were rough riders and had a tendency to derail. Five of these engines are known to have been preserved. Livery Stanley was painted red with black lining and wheels. Appearances The Railway Series * Duke the Lost Engine - Granpuff and Bulldog (cameo) Trivia * Stanley later served as the inspiration for Smudger in Thomas & Friends. * Wilbert Awdry built a model of Stanley for his layout of the Mid Sodor Railway, using a WHR Baldwin cut down to an 0-6-0 on a Minitrix chassis. However, the model did not run well, and was reduced to a static display. * Stanley's appearance at the back of the shed in Bulldog creates a continuity error; according to Granpuff, neither Falcon nor Stuart were aware of Stanley's existence, implying his arrival happened before they arrived. Furthermore, it was confirmed that Falcon was built and arrived before Stanley, so he would have known about him. Gallery References Category:Railway Series-exclusive characters Category:Deceased characters Category:Mid Sodor Railway Category:Steam locomotives Category:Tank engines Category:4-6-0